Embattled Redford under party's scrutiny after 'brutal' meeting

Premier Alison Redford had the support of her party as she left the Clarion Hotel in Calgary after meeting with the Progressive Conservatives Executive on Saturday.

Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte
, Calgary Herald

With her leadership under fire from within Tory ranks after a series of controversies, Premier Alison Redford will receive a “work plan” from the Progressive Conservative party laying out its expectations for the leader.

After hours behind closed doors with the party’s board of directors, Redford emerged with PC president Jim McCormick to speak with reporters.

“One of the things that is important to people is for me to be listening and talking to people, sharing time with people, which I’m happy to do. I know there is more work going on right now in terms of a work plan for the leader and I’m looking forward to that,” said Redford.

“Right now the party will be taking a look at that in terms of what they would like me to do and I expect I’m going to be spending an awful lot of time doing what I do most of the time, which is travelling the province talking to party members about what’s going on.”

Redford said no one asked for her resignation as party leader at the meeting.

McCormick said the work plan would be developed over time between the party and Redford to address areas of concern that have recently arose.

Saturday’s meeting of the PC board of directors capped a week of turmoil for Redford’s leadership that saw her repayment of the contentious $45,000 cost for her trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral, the departure of a Tory MLA to sit as an independent, rampant rumours of further defections and calls for her resignation from an Edmonton constituency association president.

PC directors had said beforehand they expected Redford to be questioned closely at the meeting about the issues swirling around her leadership.

McCormick said it was a “wide-ranging, no holds barred discussion” on Saturday.

“The premier did an excellent job. She didn’t back away from any of the rather hard-hitting questions she was asked. She was very frank with us.”

One party insider said the meeting was “respectful, but brutal” and that Redford was asked about all of the criticisms that have been levelled against her as leader.

“She took it all and responded at the end she’ll make it better,” said the source.

Redford’s reputation has been bruised by a series of controversies over travel and expenses and her top-down management style.

Len Webber, the MLA for Calgary-Foothills, upped the ante considerably this week when he left the government caucus, calling Redford a bully with a sense of entitlement. He said Redford had abused and intimidated government staffers and MLAs.

Redford said she would not respond to Webber’s comments because she did not want to carry on the debate.

“Quite frankly, this has not been a highlight of a week for behaviour or a very mature conversation on a lot of levels. I think a lot of people were quite emotional, probably said a lot of things that they regret and I think it’s time for us to move on,” said Redford, who acknowledged it had been a hard week for her personally.

Earlier in the day, another Tory MLA said Redford must make major changes to her leadership style to carry on.

Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski said she is not calling for Redford to step down but said she and other MLAs and party members have major concerns about her leadership.

Issues around expenses, entitlements and how Redford deals with people are significant issues that the premier must address, she said.

“If she can change the way she treats others, then we have hope,” said Jablonski.

Jablonski said she resents how these issues have distracted from Alberta’s booming economy and high quality of life under the PC government.

She said she had no intention of crossing the floor.

“Why should I have to leave my party, my principles?” said Jablonski, who noted that other members of caucus share her feelings.

Also amid the turmoil of the week were questions about the future of the party’s executive director.

But McCormick said Saturday that Kelley Charlebois remained the executive director of the PC party.

Multiple sources told the Herald Friday that Charlebois had been ousted as the party’s top staffer.

However, a source indicated Saturday that a recommendation that would have seen Charlebois leave never made it to the floor for a vote at the meeting and there was a great deal of support for Charlebois in the room.

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